View source for Gamurs

{{short description|Esports media business}}
{{Infobox website
| logo = Gamurs_logo.png
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| url = {{URL|https://gamurs.group/}}
| type = News, media, and technology services
| language = English, Portuguese, French, and Spanish
| num_users = 55,000,000
| key_people = Riad Chikhani (Co-Founder & CEO), Geraint Davies (COO)
| founder = Riad Chikhani, Phillip Luu, Carl Oehme, Halim Yoo, and Malik Akl
| launch_date = {{start date and age|2016|2|14|df=yes/no}}
| name = GAMURS Group
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The '''GAMURS Group''', simply known as '''Gamurs''', is an [[esports]] media and entertainment publisher. Established in 2014, the group operates multiple brands focusing on the esports and entertainment news markets, including the websites: ''Dot Esports'', ''We Got This Covered,'' ''[[The Mary Sue]]'', ''[[Prima Games]]'', and ''[[the Escapist (magazine)|Escapist]]''. GAMURS is based in [[Sydney|Sydney, Australia]], with an office in [[Austin, Texas]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.startupsmart.com.au/advice/business-planning/social-networking-site-gamurs-launch-attracts-6000-gaming-enthusiasts/ |title=Social networking site Gamurs launch attracts 6000 gaming enthusiasts |work=SmartCompany |date=21 July 2015 |access-date=24 May 2022 |first=Denham |last=Sadler |publisher=Private Media Pty Ltd |archive-date=3 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703112335/https://www.startupsmart.com.au/advice/business-planning/social-networking-site-gamurs-launch-attracts-6000-gaming-enthusiasts/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/06/30/gamurs-is-a-new-all-in-one-social-network-aimed-specifically-at-gamers/ |title=Gamurs is a new all-in-one social network for … well, gamers |date=30 June 2015 |first=Dan |last=Crawley |access-date=24 May 2022 |work=[[Venture Beat]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://anthillonline.com/this-guy-has-raised-350000-within-just-two-weeks-for-his-facebook-for-gamers-start-up/ |title=How Gamurs aka Facebook for gamers has raised $350,000 in just 2 weeks |last=Ainomugisha |first=Gerald |date=22 April 2015 |work=Anthill Online |access-date=24 May 2022}}</ref>
==History==
In 2010, at the age of 14, Riad Chikhani, Phillip Luu, and Malik Akl established Rune Gear, a forum for the game ''[[RuneScape]]''. They sold the business at the age of 17 to focus on school. Their experience inspired them to develop a similar business, but for a wider variety of games. In December 2014, they joined with Carl Oehme and Halim Yoo  to form GAMURS Group.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harkness |first=James |date=2017-08-10 |title="Before us, esport content providers operated out of college dorm rooms," says GAMURS CEO |url=https://dynamicbusiness.com/leadership-2/entrepreneur-profile/before-us-esport-content-providers-operated-out-of-college-dorm-rooms-says-gamurs-ceo.html |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=Dynamic Business |language=en-AU}}</ref>
GAMURS began as a social network for gamers after joining the NRMA Jumpstart program run by the Slingshot Accelerator.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slingshotters.com/casestudy/gamurs-nrma-jumpstart-accelerator-2014/|title=Gamurs|publisher=}}</ref> Shortly after the program ended, the company raised $500,000 in a seed round.
GAMURS acquired two platforms, TeamFind and CSGOTeamFinder. On February 14, 2016, these sites merged to provide team and player-finding functionality for ''[[Counter-Strike: Global Offensive]]'' and ''[[League of Legends]]''. GAMURS raised an additional $500,000 in another seed round in April 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/technology/victorian-startups-to-get-10-million-boost-as-slingshot-acquires-angelcube-20160317-gnl2kt|title=Victorian start-ups to get $10 million boost as Slingshot acquires AngelCube|date=22 March 2016|publisher=Yolanda Redrup}}</ref>
On April 26, 2016, GAMURS acquired esports publication websites ''eSports-Nation.com'', ''GoldPer10'', and ''eSports.guru.''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://esportsobserver.com/social-network-gamurs-acquired-esports-nation-goldper10-esports-guru/|title=Social network Gamurs has acquired eSports Nation, GoldPer10, and eSports Guru - The Esports Observer|date=26 April 2016|publisher=}}</ref> Once the acquisitions were completed, the three platforms were merged, making GAMURS a content provider for titles such as ''[[Call of Duty: Black Ops III]]'', ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'', ''[[Hearthstone]]'', and ''[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]''.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} On June 11, GAMURS launched EsportsWikis, an online encyclopedia dedicated to esports.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dexerto.com/news/2016/06/11/esportspedia-relaunches-new-name/ |title=Esportspedia Relaunches Under New Name &#124; eSports News & Videos &#124; Dexerto |access-date=2016-09-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920112354/http://www.dexerto.com/news/2016/06/11/esportspedia-relaunches-new-name/ |archive-date=2016-09-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On September 19, it acquired esports news outlet ''SplitPush.net''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://splitpush.net/news/splitpush-net-acquired-gamurs/ |title=SplitPush.net acquired by GAMURS - SplitPush |access-date=2016-09-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919154153/http://splitpush.net/news/splitpush-net-acquired-gamurs/ |archive-date=2016-09-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On October 28, GAMURS acquired ''[[Dot Esports]]'' from ''[[The Daily Dot]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@Gamurs/gamurs-acquires-dot-esports-c2fb17b2fbd0|title=Gamurs acquires Dot Esports|date=28 October 2016|publisher=Gamurs}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://esportsobserver.com/daily-dots-esports-section-sold-media-network-gamurs/ |title=Daily Dot Esports section sold to media network Gamurs |first=Thiemo |last=Bräutigam |publisher=The Esports Observer |date=Oct 21, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://gamurs.com/general/gamurs-merging-with-dot-esports-8799|title=Gamurs is merging into Dot Esports|publisher=|access-date=2017-03-14|archive-date=2017-03-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314152838/https://gamurs.com/general/gamurs-merging-with-dot-esports-8799|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On November 9, 2020, GAMURS acquired ''Pro Game Guides'', a source for gaming guides.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=Dot Esports|date=2020-11-09|title=GAMURS Group acquires Pro Game Guides|url=https://dotesports.com/press-releases/news/gamurs-group-acquires-pro-game-guides|access-date=2022-02-02|website=Dot Esports|language=en-US}}</ref> On June 28, 2021, GAMURS acquired ''We Got This Covered'', a news site for film, TV, comics, and entertainment culture.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=GAMURS Group|date=2021-06-28|title=GAMURS Group acquires We Got This Covered|url=https://dotesports.com/press-releases/news/gamurs-group-acquires-we-got-this-covered|access-date=2022-02-02|website=Dot Esports|language=en-US}}</ref> On November 17, GAMURS acquired the website ''[[The Mary Sue]]'', a website intended to highlight women in the "[[geek]] culture space" and provide a space for minority and underrepresented voices.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-17|title=Announcement: Mediaite Sister Site The Mary Sue Acquired by GAMURS Group|url=https://www.mediaite.com/news/announcement-mediaite-sister-site-the-mary-sue-acquired-by-gamurs-group/|access-date=2022-02-02|website=Mediaite|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=GAMURS Group Acquires Mary Sue, a leader in Women's Entertainment, and covers the coverage for the women's entertainment - Game News 24|url=https://game-news24.com/2021/11/22/gamurs-group-acquires-mary-sue-a-leader-in-women-s-entertainment-and-covers-the-coverage-for-the-women-s-entertainment/|access-date=2022-02-02|language=en-US}}</ref>
On January 3, 2022, GAMURS announced the acquisition of [[Prima Games]], a gaming media company.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=GAMURS Group|date=2022-01-13|title=GAMURS Group acquires Prima Games|url=https://dotesports.com/press-releases/news/gamurs-group-acquires-prima-games|access-date=2022-02-02|website=Dot Esports|language=en-US}}</ref> On February 10, it announced the acquisition of Twinfinite, a website focused on video game news, reviews, features, and opinions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=GAMURS Group|date=2022-02-10|title=GAMURS Group acquires Twinfinite|url=https://dotesports.com/general/news/gamurs-group-acquires-twinfinite|access-date=2022-02-10|website=Dot Esports|language=en-US}}</ref> On September 30, it confirmed the acquisition of several websites from [[Enthusiast Gaming]], including ''[[Destructoid]]'', ''[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]'', ''PC Invasion'', and ''Siliconera''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/gamurs-group-buying-enthusiast-gaming-sites-report |title=Gamurs Group buying Enthusiast Gaming sites |last=Sinclair |first=Brendan |work=[[Gamesindustry.biz]] |publisher=[[Gamer Network]] |date=September 30, 2022 |accessdate=2022-09-30 }}</ref> Their firing of ''[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]''{{'}}s editor-in-chief in November resulted in a number of contributors at the website—notably [[Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw]] of ''[[Zero Punctuation]]''—resigning and forming a new [[employee-owned]] outlet.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-11-07 |title=Zero Punctuation star Yahtzee Croshaw quits after 16 years |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-67348861 |access-date=2023-11-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Crider |first1=Michael |title='Zero Punctuation' game review series ends after 16 years |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2129244/zero-punctuation-game-review-series-ends-after-16-years.html |website=PC World |access-date=2023-11-25 |date=November 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Middler |first1=Jordan |title=Video series Zero Punctuation is seemingly ending following The Escapist staff exodus |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/video-series-zero-punctuation-is-seemingly-ending-following-the-escapist-staff-exodus/ |website=Video Games Chronicle |access-date=2023-11-25|date=November 7, 2023}}</ref>
In July 2024, an unknown number of employees were laid off across ''Destructoid'', ''PC Invasion'', and ''Dot Esports''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Batchelor |first=James |date=2024-07-02 |title=Gamurs Group reportedly lays off unknown number of staff |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/gamurs-group-reportedly-lays-off-unknown-number-of-staff |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}}</ref>
On 24th September 2024, a second round of lay off of about 30 employees was made due to "unprecedented shifts" in the industry, specifically relating to Google's Helpful Content update in 2023 and "the decline in Google search and Discover traffic across all sites." Those affected include Dot Esports gaming editor Vic Hood, Dot Esports Australian managing editor Isaac McIntyre, Twinfinite managing editor Tom Hopkins, Destructoid staff writer Jamie Sharp, and PC Invasion senior staff writer Diego Perez.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McEvoy |first=Sophie |date=September 24, 2024 |title=Gamurs Group employees reportedly hit with more layoffs |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/gamurs-group-employees-reportedly-hit-with-more-layoffs |access-date=September 25, 2024 |website=GamesIndustry.biz}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Entertainment companies established in 2014]]
[[Category:Australian companies established in 2014]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 2014]]
[[Category:2016 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:2020 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:2021 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:2022 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:Companies based in Sydney]]
[[Category:Companies based in Austin, Texas]]
[[Category:Esports websites]]
[[Category:Video game websites]]